Simple Things
by the-vampire-act
Summary: 5-Drabble H/R Series. Spencer and Hotch aren't a conventional couple, but they are aware that the simple things in life are the ones the matter the most. *See #5 for warning.
1. Small Things

"**... I am having trouble w/ my laptop. This is bad news for you. :( And me tears.* Start praying that its fixed, because I cant afford to replace it!And come summer's end, I wont have a laptop to write on period..." **

Small Things

Spencer Reid whimpered as a wave of pain pushed through his aching body, bringing a new wave of nausea as it died down. Aaron Hotchner ran over to his younger lover's side and pushed his hair out of his more pale than usual face. He placed a soft kiss on his forehead, sighing as he realized how hot Spencer had became.

"You're fever's spiking again." he announced.

"I noticed." Reid croaked back, offering a small smile.

"Do you want some company?" Hotch asked. He didn't have anything to offer Reid to calm his fever, but he could offer him emotional comfort. He felt so bad for having so little, but he knew that Spencer would understand.

"Yes." Reid whispered, a small blush creeping up on his cheeks. Hotch smiled at the boy's innocence, the look on his face reminding him much of his son's when he asked for something he thought inappropriate for a boy to ask- varying from a hug, a kiss, a bedtime story, and a late-night snack.

"Scoot over." Hotch replied, a small and satisfied smile appearing on his face. Reid obediently did so, making just enough for Hotch to squeeze in beside his lover. He wrapped his hand around Reid's tiny waist, letting him snuggle closer to him as he sighed in content. Hotch started stroking Reid's hair as he listened to his lover's breathing finally approach normal. Hotch may not have been able to cure Reid's sickness, but he was able to make him feel less alone. It was a small thing, but it made a huge difference...

And it was the small things that really counted, anyways.


	2. Gentle Things

"…**Drabble 2. Enjoy : )…"**

Gentle Things

Hotch knew how vulnerable Reid was compared to himself- not emotionally, but physically. He had just recovered from Anthrax, got shot in the leg, and had to deal with his sore leg for a while as he somehow managed to make it on the field without completely crashing. For that, Hotch admired Reid; he honestly doubted he could deal with half the pain his youngest agent had.

Spencer Reid nearly passed out as his body hit the uncomfortable hotel bed, his leg aching from pain. Since there were only two rooms that had two beds, Hotch and Reid had agreed to share the one-bedroom room, since they had been sharing rooms- and a bed- for a few cases now. Spencer could feel his lover's worried gaze on him, making him squirm under the observations. "Aren't you going lay down?" Reid asked.

"Uh, yeah." Hotch nodded. He took his shoes, tie, and suit jacket off before joining his considerately younger lover on the bed. He felt Reid roll into him for a minute, but as he went to wrap an arm around him, he pulled away. "What's wrong?" Hotch frowned.

"I'm sorry, Hotch. My leg….it just hurts too much." he sighed. Reid turned around hiding his face from his lover. Hotch's frowned deepened as he heard a small sniffle from the other side of the bed. Hotch swung his feet around so they were off the bed and planted them on the floor. Then, he shifted his weight so he could stand up and walk toward Spencer. Once he reached his obviously distressed lover, he immediately saw the tears running down his eyes and automatically switched to 'Gentle Aaron' mode.

"Spencer, why are you crying?" Hotch asked. He wanted to touch Spencer, but he knew how Spencer got when he was emotional- he either wanted to be held all night or not to be touched at all, and the one time he had mistaken Reid for wanting to be touched when he didn't, he was rewarded with a freaked-out and nearing hyperventilating version of Reid; to say the least, he didn't want that to happen again.

"I'm sorry; it's just….I don't-don't _perform _for you in…in bed, and-and now I can't even le-let you hold me. I want to make you happy, Aaron, and I know you can't be happy with a boyfriend who freaks out every time you touch him." Reid sobbed.

"Spencer, you know I don't care that we haven't had sex yet; I want to make sure you're comfortable with it before we do anything like that. There's no way I could live with myself if I knew the only reason why you slept with me was because you thought I'd leave you if you didn't." Hotch soothed. "And I'm happy, Spencer. I'm happy because I'm with you. I know you're still sore from being shot, and I understand that. When I was stabbed, I had a hard time moving my back and chest for a while, and I killed myself doing the simplest things. Luckily, it healed quickly. You were shot in the leg, Spencer. That severely limited your mobility, and you couldn't - and still can't- do a lot of things. I understand that."

"I'm sorry, Aaron- for freaking out on you like that. I don't know; I guess I've just been a little off…emotionally." Reid sighed, letting Aaron rub his arm as he prompted his lover to lay back down. Reid propped up his leg and laid back down as Aaron pushed underneath Reid until his upper body was underneath Reid's. Finally comfortable, Hotch started speaking.

"I know what you mean. It's been one hell of a year-an emotionally exhausting year." he added.

"Well, let's hope things get better." Reid said, a soft, tired smile forming on his face.

Noticing the change in his lover's attention, Hotch started stroking his long, curly hair, signaling to him that it was okay to sleep. As Spencer was lulled into sleep, Hotch's hand gently massaged over Reid's sore leg, something that they both had been accustomed to as a nightly ritual for the last few weeks. Hotch studied Reid's sleeping form, his eyes scanning over every soft curve and every long, thin, visible bone. He had a hard time controlling himself- holding back every hard, vicious grab, scratch, rub, and grope. He had to remind himself to be gentle, knowing that Spencer could only handle so much. And as he himself fell to sleep, a gentle hand reached out for his own, reminding both lovers that everything was going to be all right.


	3. Needful Things

"…**Drabble 3. Pleaz Review. : )…."**

**Needful Things**

Aaron Hotchner watched from behind as his youngest agent stood awkwardly over the grave. He knew why Spencer had visited the grave, and he knew that he was expecting him to follow him. A frown formed on Aaron's face when he heard Spencer sniffle. Sadness- that wasn't exactly what he was expecting. He expected his lover to hold him when they heard the news, whisper to him that it would be all right, but all the while be secretly be happy. But no, he had been wrong, and that was something he was used to by now.

Aaron approached Spencer cautiously. He stood closely behind him as they both stared down at the grave that was half-covered with snow. He studied the vacant but focused look in his lover's eyes as they studied the grave beneath them, one hand in his pocket, the other on his eagle head-tipped cane. Finally, Spencer spoke up.

"She was an amazing woman." Spencer said. His eyes hesitated to look up, but when the did, Aaron could tell that Spencer had taken the death almost as hard as he had.

"She was." Aaron agreed, stepping closer to the grave. "Did you bring the purple hyacinths?" Spencer nodded. "I've never seen one at a funeral."

"Purple Hyacinths mean 'I'm sorry'. " his younger partner explained. Then, after a pause, he continued. "I suppose you brought the gardenia?" This time, it was Aaron's turn to nod. " 'My secret lover.' " Spencer said with a humorless laugh. "I guess we both were trying to tell Haley something."

"Yeah, I suppose so." Aaron mumbled distractedly, his eyes never lifting from the two flowers- one white, one purple- laying side by side on his ex-wife's grave.

"Do you regret it, Aaron?" Spencer asked. Their eyes locked for a moment, a look of understanding crossing Aaron's stone-cold features.

"Haley gave me Jack; she gave me a few happy memories, a reason to try and make things work out." Aaron sighed, his head shaking. "But we were never going to work out. In a sense, we were too much alike, but too different. She wanted a spouse who could be there for her, and so did I, but for the opposite reasons she did. She wanted to get married and have children, wanted to settle down with a job she loved-with people she loved. But no matter how many things we agreed on, we never wanted the same thing." Spencer just nodded, knowing that Aaron needed to be left with his thoughts. But after a few minutes, a new thought came to mind.

"Did you ever regret us?"

Aaron's head shot up. He hadn't expected Spencer to ask him that, but he could understand why he had. He reached over to take Spencer's hand and pressed him by his sides until he was closer to him. Spencer leaned his head against Aaron's chest, waiting for Aaron to respond. He kissed Spencer's soft cheeks, stroking the area when his lips left the pale skin. "I love you more than I could have ever loved her, Spencer. Things are different now-no regrets anymore."

"Is that what you think you should say, or is that what you want to say?" Spencer asked in a small, quivering voice. The temperature had dropped significantly in the few minutes- or was it hours?- they had been standing outside. The pure white snow had started falling again, and he knew that he needed to go Spencer home. Being born in Las Vegas, his body wasn't quite used to the chill compared to his own body's resistance.

"It's what I want to say, Spencer. It's how I feel." Hotch replied. "I hated hiding us, and now we don't have to do that. We can be open again- it'll be better now." Spencer just nodded. He knew that Aaron would say that; he just needed to hear the words aloud.

Aaron bent down near the grave and picked up the two flowers. Spencer frowned, unsure of what his lover was planning. With a reassuring 'Hotch Smile' on his face, Aaron wrapped a hand around Spencer's waist and lead him inside the funeral house, where a fireplace, a single wooden table, four matching chairs, and a red Christmas candle was on the table. He helped Spencer limp toward the arched fireplace and handed Spencer his flower. "No regrets." he started. "Haley doesn't need two flowers telling her that we're together. She knows that now, and it's time to let this go. You're not my dirty little secret, and that's exactly what these flowers make you." Spencer looked up at his lover, his heart heavy. Aaron held his hand as he lifted the white flower into the flames, letting the fire engulf the secrets they'd kept. Spencer gently tossed his flower in after Aaron's.

The two men watched their secrets burn, the flames reflecting in their eyes. Aaron patted Spencer's shoulder, prompting him to start walking again. "It's time to go home." With a nod from Spencer, they started off to 'home'.

After all, when all the layers of love and hate were pulled back and their true surfaces were revealed- all they were was needful things….


	4. Childish Things

"…**Drabble 4. Pleaz Enjoy : )…" **

Childish Things

Spencer Reid smiled as Jack Hotchner successfully skated on the layer of smoothed ice. Aaron had to attend a meeting for the BAU team leaders, so he had volunteered to take care of Jack for the day. He had asked Aaron's son what he wanted to do today-suggesting him to pick an inside task due to the raging heat- and he picked ice hockey. So Spencer had Jack call some of his friends and drove them to the local ice rink. He laughed as the black-haired boy, Jasper, scored a goal for Jack's make-shift team. Jack looked up at Spencer with a wide smile, making Spencer even more glad that he had in fact taken the boys up. Jack's friends decided to start a new game, and Spencer tried to go back to his book, but he suddenly felt a presence to his right. He felt a hand slip over his thigh and a pair of lips touch his forehead.

"Aaron." Spencer said, finally deciding that it was useless to try to read. "You're back earlier than I expected. Sorry, if I knew I would have left a note-"

"Spencer, it's okay." Aaron laughed. "I asked the neighbor if she knew where you were; it's fine." he reassured. "I think it was great for you to take them up here. The place is never busy, and it's too hot to go outside and play."

"Well, I asked him what he wanted to do, and he said ice hockey." Spencer said, nodding his head.

"You're the best baby-sitter ever." Aaron smiled, pushing away Spencer's book so he could scoot closer to him. "And I think that Jack would have to agree."

"Well, despite what Morgan says, I'm not that bad with kids." Spencer joked. "I think that practically raising yourself and your mom teaches you a few things , you know?" Aaron nodded, but he sighed afterwards. He hated to think about his lover's troubling childhood, but he knew that Spencer was right. His past made him what he was- just like his own past had molded his present. And if they hadn't had joined the FBI, he wouldn't be sitting in an ice rink with him as they watched their son and his friends play…..

'Wait, what?' Hotch thought. 'Did I just say 'our'?' Aaron looked down nervously at the ground; he wasn't sure how he felt about that….

"What is it?" Spencer asked, a small frown on his face.

"Hmm? Oh, it's nothing." Aaron laughed nervously.

"Well, I think it's something." Spencer pouted. "Just tell me what it is, okay?"

Seeing that there was no way to avoid the conversation, Aaron nodded his head. "When you mentioned your childhood, I started thinking about what the past has given us. And…And I was thinking that is gave us this moment….with us being able to watch our son."

Spencer's eyes went wide, his mouth opening a little. Aaron sighed, thinking that he had screwed up and freaked out his boyfriend. He stared at his hands as he waited for Spencer to verbally respond to the situation. Finally, after what had felt like hours, he spoke up.

"I love Jack." And that was the only thing he said.

"I know you do." Aaron smiled.

"And I love you."

"I love you too….."

"And….I'd love for Jack to be our son."

Aaron's head shot up, his eyes wider than the moon. Spencer looked away, feeling ashamed that he had even spoke up about it in the first place. Seeing Spencer's reaction, Aaron gently pulled him around until he could see his face. "I'd love for you to Jack's…other father." he smiled. "But it's not time."

"I know, Aaron. I just…I just needed to know that -that we were going somewhere, and I needed to know you wanted to eventually…." Spencer gulped, not wanting to finish the sentence, "get married.

Aaron smiled and stroked Spencer's hair. "Of course, Spencer. I love you." he whispered.

"And I love you." Spencer smiled back.

"Daddy!" Spencer and Aaron immediately looked up. "We won!"

Aaron smiled at his son before turning back to Spencer. "Yeah, so did we." Spencer laughed at that before turning back to show Jack his approval.

"Are you getting hungry?" Aaron asked. Jack and his friends nodded their heads vigorously. "Then let's go get some pizza!" After a chorus of applauses, Spencer and Aaron escorted the kids back to the car and into the parking lot of the closest Chucky Cheeses….

Because they all needed to revel in childish things.


	5. Gracious Things

"…**And Lastly, Drabble 5. : ) Pleaz R&R?…Oh, and keep in mind you can vote for your fave contest entry! Check out my pg for details!…A huge shout-out to they'recominingtotakemeaway, who was the first person to get a taste of this story. **

**WARNING: some sad-ass crap!…. "**

Gracious Things

Aaron Hotchner could feel Spencer Reid slipping away from him- could feel him become resolved from their relationship and curl into himself. He could see his lover's eyes close and struggle to reopen. He could practically smell the deception radiating off him as he started ignoring him all-together. He could taste the tears running from his eyes as he kissed him at night, praying that he could hold him again one day. He could hear him whimper as he pushed him down on the bed, prodding him to get some sleep. And as he turned around to leave what was once their bedroom, he could just barely hear him again. He turned around so he could listen to him better, closing some of the distance that had been placed between them.

"What did you say, Spencer?" Aaron gently prodded, gently placing the gracious hand in his own.

"I love you, Aaron." Spencer whispered. Aaron sighed before lowering his upper body to kiss his boyfriend's chapped and faded lips.

"I know, Spencer." And with that, he left the room, leaving Spencer to sleep even if he knew that he wouldn't, neither of them would. Aaron walked down his hallway until he reached the kitchen, where he settled down with a mug full of coffee and a splitting headache that never seemed to go away. He knew that both his lover's resigned behavior and his headaches were normal after what they had both suffered, but it still hadn't made any of it easier to cope with. He hated seeing Spencer so miserable- not that he was doing any better himself- and he wished that he could take away his pain. But he knew that wishing wouldn't help either of them. There seemed to be no hope left for the couple, and they didn't know how they would survive. He sat down his cup; he wasn't in the mood for the caffeine-filled drink. His eyes wandered off to a framed picture of Jack, Spencer, and himself. He studied the happy memory for a moment before forcing his eyes away. He had to sleep tonight; Spencer and himself started working again tomorrow, and they needed all the energy they could get. Suddenly, the house phone started ringing. He sprinted into the living room to answer it, not wanting to wake Spencer up in case he actually was sleeping.

"Hello?" he answered groggily.

"Go to bed." Rossi demanded.

"Dave, you know I can't do that." Aaron sighed.

"It's been half a year, Aaron. I know it's impossible to get over this, but you're going to have to try. You're back at the BAU tomorrow; that should help some, you know? Give you a chance to get something else on your mind."

"I know, Dave. We're both trying our best, but it never seems to be good enough." After a brief silence over the phone waves, Rossi started up again.

"How's he doing?"

"Spencer's not doing good." Aaron admitted. "He's so resigned…..so inactive. It's like all his energy was drained from him."

"This kind of loss is always devastating." Dave sighed. "It's going to take a while for things to get better."

"It's going to be while before I can even think straight again."

"Still having those headaches?"

"Stress headaches, yeah." Aaron answered. "The doctor said I'll have them for a while."

"Listen, if you want to take some more time off…" Rossi started, but Aaron stopped him.

"Spencer and I have already discussed this. We need to get back to work. We know it's going to be a challenge, but we have to get out and do something other than walk around the city aimlessly."

"I suppose I understand." Rossi sighed. "Just…call if you need anything, okay?"

"Of course."

"And get some sleep." And with that, Dave hung up.

Aaron let out a shaky breath as he sat his phone backed down. His eyes scanned back over the kitchen table as he walked past it, the article on the front cover from all those months ago still mocking him:

CHILD DROWNS AT LOCAL LAKE

The child, identified recently as Jack Hotchner, son of Aaron and Haley Hotchner, drowned last night at the local lake. Jack Hotchner was in the care of local neighbor; his mother being deceased and his father being out of town for his job with the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, the boy was being baby-sat by trusted neighbors. Witnesses claim that the child had been wading in the water as the Hotchner's neighbor prepared a lunch for the children who were at the lake when a strong current washed over the shore, making the child lose his grip. Unable to swim back to the top, the boy died before anyone could have reached him-

Aaron hastily flipped the paper over. He'd read the damned thing over and over again, but none of it made any sense. He had forgave his neighbor after their heart-filled apology. He feigned it off, though. He reassured her that it wasn't her fault and nothing could have prevented it. It wasn't angry at her-no, but nothing could take back the moment his heart stopped as he received the phone call in Maine saying that his son was dead.

Aaron quietly made his way to the bathroom to ready himself for restless sleep. He quickly took a shower, changed his clothes, and prepared the guestroom for the night. As he laid in bed, his hands reached underneath the mattress for the small black box he had kept safely away from the world. As he opened it and studied the simple but elegant band, he read the single word inscribed on the inside: Gracious. He had planned on asking for Spencer's hand the day the Jack died, but once he received the news, he had all-but forgotten it. So he tucked it back under the mattress, sighing as he did so. As much as he wanted to marry Spencer, he knew that the timing just wasn't right. The day when their breathing stopped faltering when they passed a body of water; the day they could smile and think about thoughts again; the day they could look at each other and feel passion- not remorse; the day that their hearts started beating again, and the world started to spin- that was the day he would ask. It wasn't time, and Aaron often wondered if it would ever be time again.

The sound of knocking on his door made Aaron jolt up. He watched as the door swung open, revealing a tearing up Spencer. "Spencer." Aaron whispered, tears finally falling from his own eyes. His younger lover threw himself a Aaron, letting him roughly grip him as close as he could to him, knowing that both of them needed the comfort. He whimpered as Aaron ran a hand through his distraught lover's hair and kissed every exposed piece of skin he could. Spencer moaned under his lover's touch as he tried to erase the horrible memories flooding his mind. Aaron watched as his lover graciously swung his hips, forcing himself on to of Aaron. He haphazardly kissed him as his hand ran down his own sides, pulling off the thin long-sleeved shirt he was currently wearing. He threw himself at Aaron, his hands reaching for the waist of his pants…

"Don't." Aaron said through gritted teeth.

"W-what?" Spencer asked, his voice sounding as small and vulnerable as a child. He felt rejected by Aaron after what had happened to Jack, and he just needed to feel something- anything! Being in bed with Aaron after a rough day seemed to be a good way to feel again. That was, until he stopped him.

"I can't do this to you, not now." Aaron said, his voice lightening up from its tense demeanor. "You're vulnerable- I'm vulnerable. It wouldn't mean anything to either of us, Spencer. I don't want it to feel like I'm using you."

"And I'm sick of not feeling." Spencer choked, tears still rolling down his eyes. "Ever since Jack died, I've felt so…so…numb. I need this, Aaron. I need you."

Finally, after fighting their grief for six months, Aaron and Spencer broke down. Both men held each other as they cried hard and loud. They let the feelings that they had been holding back for so long free and didn't think twice about doing so.

And that night, they did something that they hadn't done since Jack died: they slept through the whole night without dreaming nightmares of what had tore them apart just six short months ago.

Epilogue

Spencer Reid and Aaron Hotchner had seen many of the things life had to offer. They had seen small things, gentle things, childish things, needful things, and gracious things. All of these things alone were simple things, but when they combined, they created a lifetime. It reminded them of how fragile life was and that there were good and bad times. For the longest time, both men thought that the bad time would never end. But now, as they held hands, their rings clinking together, with their adopted baby boy in their hands, they smiled. Three years after the death of their first son, they had found happiness again. They had met the boy on a case involving child murders; Tucker was going to be sent into child services, but neither agent could let that happen. They knew that they had to take the boy home with them. And now, as they smiled and looked out into the water, they smiled…

Because both Spencer and Aaron knew that the most precious things in life were also the most gracious things.

Fin.

"…**.So I'm not a fan of the epilogue, but I knew I had to give you nice people a somewhat happy ending. Thnx for reading everyone; I loved writing this! R&R if you loved reading it!…" **


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